Chains in Hell
by meeyoop
Summary: [One-shot] Just a short story connecting the events of Milton's Paradise Lost with those of Dante's Inferno. Satan's POV.


This was originally a creative writing assignment for AP Literature. We had to connect the events of John Milton's _Paradise Lost_ with Dante's _Inferno_. They were freakin geniuses, by the way…and although they've been dead for hundreds of years, here's the disclaimer: I don't own _Paradise Lost_ or _Inferno_.

"Chains in Hell"

_"Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers;_

_For in possession such, not only of right,_

_I call ye, and declare ye now; returned_

_Successful beyond hope, to lead ye forth_

_Triumphant out of this infernal pit_

_Abominable, accursed, the house of woe,_

_And dungeon of our tyrant: Now possess,_

_As Lords, a spacious world, to our native Heaven_

_Little inferior, by my adventure hard_

_With peril great achieved._

_...therein Man_

_Placed in a __Paradise__, by our exile_

_Made happy: Him by fraud I have seduced_

_From his Creator; and, the more to increase_

_Your wonder, with an apple; he, thereat_

_Offended, worth your laughter! hath given up_

_Both his beloved Man, and all his world,_

_To Sin and Death a prey, and so to us,_

_Without our hazard, labor, or alarm;_

_To range in, and to dwell, and over Man_

_To rule, as over all he should have ruled..._

_—Ye have the account_

_Of my performance: What remains, ye Gods,_

_But up, and enter now into full bliss?"_

I expected applause from my legions after my great victory over earth, but instead I heard hissing. My demons had all been transformed into serpents. I looked on in disbelief, but I had only a moment to wonder at this sight before I looked down at myself and realized that I was turning into a snake as well. I sank down to the ground, hissing angrily, my mind searching for an explanation for my wretched condition.

_It is the work of my Enemy; only He would do this! Has He not punished me enough? Must He change my form against my will as well?_ I thought. And was it not right that I had corrupted His beloved creatures? It was my revenge, the perfect way for me to retaliate against the injustices that the King of Heaven had subjected me to. He dared to strike me down into this fiery pit, because He could not stand to see that I am wiser, more powerful, and a greater leader. See how easily I swayed the woman, His own creation, to my will?

Suddenly there was a thunderous crash. The entire foundation of Hell shook violently, and the ground beneath me collapsed. The hissing that had been unbearably deafening only moments before now grew fainter as I sank lower and lower into the fiery pit. Then the shaking stopped as abruptly as it had started, and I found myself stuck fast in the ground. From my position in the center of the pit I could see my legions reverted into their original forms, standing on the ledge about five levels above me. A bright light flashed and they dispersed, hiding behind the jagged rocks that stuck up from the ground.

That light could only have been an angel. As it came closer to me, I discerned a familiar face. It was Abdiel, that lackey of the King of Heaven. I bared my teeth at him and struggled violently to free myself, that I might smite him, but it was to no avail. "You have no power here!" I growled. "You are in my kingdom, and none of your Lord's favor can aid you. I am the Ruler of Darkness, of Sin, of Death, and I will overthrow your tyrant and come to power over all!"

Abdiel cast a stern glance at me. "You may rule over all Evil, but you will never match the power and might of the God of Heaven and Earth, who rules over Good."

I laughed contemptuously. "And what of the man and woman? I offered them Evil once and they chose it readily. Now all of Mankind is tainted with Sin and Death, my own creations. They will heed only my commands. I have dominion over all of them, and they will become my subjects."

But Abdiel was unmoved. "Do you not remember my words from our last encounter? 'Yet Chains in Hell, not Realms expect'? Because you schemed to take the place of the Almighty, you have committed the gravest sin and have the gravest punishment. For all eternity you will remain trapped in this lowest circle, ever reminded of your transgression." And then he held his burnished shield to my face, and I saw that I was no longer a serpent. My form had changed completely. My wings had lost all their feathers. I had three grotesque faces, with six teary eyes and three snarling mouths. There was no trace of the heavenly beauty I had once possessed.

Abdiel departed in a flash of light, his task complete. In rage I beat my wings savagely, raising up a freezing wind that put out all the surrounding flames and coated the area in ice. I my head back and roared furiously, a sound that echoed throughout all of Hell and forced my legions to drop to their knees in fear. They covered their ears, pleading for the noise to stop, and trembled as they bowed to me. _They bow to me, only to me,_ I noted bitterly. _Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven…_

_"If he was as handsome now as he now_

_is__ ugly and, despite that, raised his brows_

_against__ his Maker, one can understand_

_how__ every sorrow has its source in him!"_


End file.
